The Cross and Crowns Ministry Nairobi

Jas. 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works ? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works,...

Having separated themselves from the young men, Abraham and Isaac went together to the top of the mountain− Gen. 22:6 . Isaac may have discerned that his father was going to present an offering to the Lord presumably by seeing the wood and the fire. That being the case, his question was a legitimate one because there was a missing ingredient in this equation i.e., the lamb− Gen. 22:7 . Abraham DID...

 Testing has a CONTEXT. Having created Man to rule the earth in place of Satan who had since disqualified himself through rebellion, God TESTED him to prove his worthiness to realize this purpose− Gen. 2:16-17; 1:26-28 . Joseph had two dreams, both of which were REGAL in nature− Gen. 37:5-11 . The Lord TESTED Joseph by orchestrating events which seemed to contradict the REGAL dreams that he had− P...

God TESTED Abraham Gen. 22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him , “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” It is God’s prerogative to TEST and He does so with the RIGHTEOUS− Ps 11:5 The Lord tests the righteous … Prov. 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts . Ps 7:9 …For the righteous God tests the hearts...

The Lord kept His Word, in His time and style, and did as He had promised Sarah who bore Isaac− Gen. 21:1-3 . As time elapsed, Isaac grew and he was subsequently weaned, much in every way a baby was− Gen. 21:8-9; 1 Sam. 1:22-24; 1 Kin 11:20; Hos. 1:8 . Weaning conveys the idea of bringing to an end, the time a child comes to the end of need for nursing, because he/she has matured. In the Septuagin...

The Holy Spirit moved the writer of Hebrews to provide a record of specific individuals, who lived by faith, to communicate spiritual truths to bible students like us. Although this list is not exhaustive per se, the truths communicated therein are. Our response must therefore be one of faith IF we are to profit immensely from this revelation, as with the rest of Scripture− 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Joh. 6:...

The individuals recorded in Heb. 11 are commended because of their faith, to the saving of the soul– Heb. 11:1-2, 39-40 . The reality of the matter is that none of these individuals are alive today. Thankfully for each of them, God bore witness that they died in faith i.e., they were still living by faith when they died and/or they died still believing what God had promised them− Heb. 11:13 . Our...

The Just Shall Live by Faith-Part-19

Prior to Gen. 16, the Lord has been speaking to Abram ALONE! There is no record of Sarai’s involvement. However, is reason to believe that being childless was a concern to wife Sarai who reasoned that the Lord had prevented her from bearing children since she was barren−Gen. 16:1-2a. a. Unlike Abram who chose to talk to the Lord about his predicament, Sarai took matters in her own hands−Gen. 16:2b...

Although Sarah initially did not believe as seen in her laughter, she must have repented and believed in the Lord’s Promise to give her a son, considering Him reliable and true to His word− Heb. 11:11 By faith [to the saving of the soul] Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Himfaithful who had promised .

While the Lord has been speaking to Abram about his descendants, Abram remained childless because his wife, Sarai, was barren− Gen. 11:30 . What do we do when REVELATION from God, through HisWord, contradicts the present REALITIES of our lives?

With Lot gone, the Lord spoke to Abram concerning twospecific things; THE LAND AND HIS DESCENDANTS- Gen. 13:14-17 .Abram’s journey of faith led him to a place of strength, a place of fatness, dwelling in association with the Lord, building an altar there to Him because of his choice to fully obey the Lord instructions- Gen. 13:18 . Heb.11:9 By faith [to thesaving of the soul] he [Abraham] dweltin...

Having changed his mind, Abram made an upward journey away from Egypt to Bethel, in the company of his wife, nephew and all that he had. He was a wealthy man in livestock, silver and gold! Lot too had his own flocks, herds and tents! Since both Abram and Lot were well supplied with great possessions, the land could NOT support both of them. As a result, they could NOT dwell together as evidenced b...

Since Abram left Haran when he was 75 years old, we can safely conclude that he delayed his journey for 5 years until Terah died. Besides the delay arising from Terah’s presence, there was neither sustenance for Abram’s spirit man nor cleansing because he dwelt in Haran. Lot went with Abram. The Hebrew word for ‘Lot’ comes from another word which means a veil, covering. Abram was partially obedien...

The Lord commended Abraham for his choices to live by faith, to the saving of the soul, in a twofold manner− Heb. 11:8-10 . i. Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place he would receive as an inheritance. ii. Abraham dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country because his focus was on another city.

When Noah was divinely warned regarding the impendingflood, he moved with godly fear thus prepared an ark for the saving of his household- Heb. 11:7 . Noah's reverential attitude led to his obedience in the action of building the ark. Jesus Christ was heard because of His godly fear- Heb. 5:7-8 . We are to serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear- Heb. 12:25-29 . Godly fear is the d...

Heb. 11:7 By faith [to the saving of the soul] Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith . i. Noah was divinely warned of things not seen i.e., the flood. ii. Noah moved with godly fear to prepare an ark for the saving of...

Enoch is the seventh man from Adam− Jude 1:14 . After Enoch begot Methuselah, he walked with God threehundred years and this is a matter that is repeated in the text− Gen. 5:22, 24 . a. He walked in habitual fellowship with God! He walked inreverent fear and obedience with God. b. He lived/walked in close fellowship with God. c. He walked faithfully with God. By so doing, Enoch pleased God! God ta...

Gal. 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus . Christians are sons because of creation – 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:15 . Being heirs to the promise [ Gal. 3:29 ] resulting from spiritual maturity [ Heb. 5:14 ] is with a view to Christians being adopted as sons i.e., God the Father sent His Son with REGALITY in sharp focus. Christians adopted as sons at the JSOC will be placed as fi...

The account/record of Cain and Abel typifies the nation of Israel and Christ respectively.

The writer of Hebrews was led/moved by the Holy Spirit to provide a record of Old Testament saints who acted by faith- Heb. 11:2 . Heb. 11:4 By faith [to the saving of the soul] Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks . How did Cain and Abel arrive at th...

Heb. 11:3 By faith [to the saving of the soul] we understand that the worlds [lit. ages] were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible . The ages were equipped and fitted by the Word of Godto accomplish His Own divine purpose. The first part of Heb. 11:3b , describes ‘ that which we see ,’‘ what is seen ,’ ‘ what we now see ’ and/or ‘ t...

a. Angels are sons of God− Job 38: 7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? b. Adam was the son of God− Lk. 3:38 …Adam, the son of God . c. The nation of Israel is the son of God, His firstborn− Ex. 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “ Israel is My son, My firstborn . 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve me. But if you re...

The Scriptures are replete with the phrase ‘ the heavensand the earth .’ The heavens refer to the realm from where rulership emanates while the earth is one of the provinces in God’s universe− Dan. 4:26 . If God created Man to rule, which He did, and a saved individual has his/her spirit saved, which it has, THEN what should such a saved individual be instructed in for the entire of his/her life h...

God created Man a perfect tripartite being and therefore, this DEATH affected all the three parts. Man’s spirit died! The spirit lost communion with God. Man’s soul died! The soul became corrupted thus knew evil experientially. Man’s body died! The body lost the covering of glory hence became totally naked and became susceptible to physical decay. In this ruined state, Man was separated from the p...